Rent a Room - Questions to ask potential housemate

g4fne

Hi. I have placed an advert to rent my room. I have had a couple of people interested & want to come see the room.

This is completely new to me. What are the questions i should be asking them ??

BitterAndTwisted

Erm, I think you may have put the cart before the horse on this one.

Apart from general age and common-interest stuff to gauge compatibility, you need to know where they are working and for how long and can they prove it, what kind of accommodation they are currently living in, how long they have been living there and where's their reference, why they are looking for a move and why they think becoming someone's lodger might be the right solution for them.

Have a think about what sort of arrangements you want to make about share of house-work, access to bathroom, where their food is going to go and any other aspects like laundry, use of your telly and hi-fi, friends visiting or staying overnight etcetera which may be important to you.

I believe the LandlordZone site has a Lodgers Agreement on thre somewhere and you should definitely have a read of it even if you decide not to use it.


I've had lodgers myself off and on over the last thirty years but have never had anyone here that I didn't know first or who wasn't a friend-of-a-friend and therefore had someone who could vouch for them.

Ivrytwr3

What super power would you want and why?

Have you ever considered an eye patch as an outfit accessory?

If I caught you stealing one of my cookies what would your best excuse be?

Britney or Christina?

Ivrytwr3

Do you make loud slurping noises when you eat?

Do you politely demur if something we're having for dinner is unappetizing, or do you holler "EWW! Mushrooms! GROSS! I can't stand mushrooms!"?

Do you pick at your toes in the family room?

How many vehicles do you have, are they insured, and where were you planning to park them?

Do you consume so much milk that we need to give serious thought to renting a cow?

Do you know that light switches also have an "off" position that's useful when you leave a room?

Do you hold down a job at all, or do you just pay bills at your own leisure when the parents send money?

Angelicdevil

Try and spend time with them socially, general chit chat away from the house. Find out why they're moving. Get references if at all possible.

I wish I'd put more time and effort into quizzing my two previous housemates....

Very nice in the beginning - oh yes I clean, I hate a dirty house. I'm very quiet, don't go out partying and never bring random, strange men and their mates back every weekend......certainly wouldn't ever crowd the house every weekend with my mates too either beacuse I respect other peoples space and privacy......

Lies, all lies!


Spend as much time as possible gauging them.

KittyLady

Things I'd be asking about, pets (you'd be a little shocked if you found they had a huge spider in a tank in their room), allergies/medical conditions (if they have diabetes etc it's helpful to know in the event of something going wrong), overnight visitor rules, cleaning rotas (esp the bathroom, nothing worse than someone who can't clean their poo out the loo and replace the loo roll), diet issues (vegans tend to want to use separate cookware).

sellenom

That is a tough one, as living with the wrong kind of person can be unpleasant. Ask for references!

BitterAndTwisted

KittyLady wrote: »

Things I'd be asking about, pets (you'd be a little shocked if you found they had a huge spider in a tank in their room)

Eh? Landords who think they can enter their lodger's room at will should eff off and stay the hell out of there

dorset_nurse

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Eh? Landords who think they can enter their lodger's room at will should eff off and stay the hell out of there

I read that as meaning there will be creepy crawlies in the lodgers room which may escape- not that the LL will be snooping around rooms.

Kynthia

Some things you should ask them but there are some things you should tell them. You need to set the rules clearly at the start as it's difficult to impose them later. Things like cleaning, overnight guests, bills, pets, use of communal areas, noise, food, damage, etc. You can always relaxthem later on but don't be too nice and soft at the start or you may be treated as a mate instead of a LL.

Don't forget to think about council tax, tax/rent a room scheme, notice periods and whether you'll accept those claiming benefits. Also be careful you don't grant them 'exclusive occupation' of the room.

phill99

KittyLady wrote: »

diet issues (vegans tend to want to use separate cookware).

Vegans should also be encouraged to use a separate toilet as a vegetable only diet has a profound impact on their intestines.

Questions I would ask:

Have you ever cut off a horses head and left it in someone's bed?

Have you ever been convicted of any acts of random violence?

Are you known by a females name at the weekends?

Do you think it's acceptable to have relations with farm animals?